"HE WAS BEAUTIFUL. TIMING, SPEED, REFLEXES, RHYTHM, HIS BODY, EVERYTHING WAS BEAUTIFUL. I’M THE GREATEST HEAVYWEIGHT EVER BUT POUND FOR POUND, I STILL SAY SUGAR RAY ROBINSON WAS THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME” (MUHAMMAD ALI)

The title above this post is meant to highlight the decline and shame that people like Chisora, Haye and Warren are inflicting on boxing.

 

It was not my intention to watch the so called boxing match on Saturday night; I did not bother to check the pay per view cost as I did not consider any cost no matter how low as worth paying. 15 minutes before the start of the fight my daughter who knows I am a boxing fan came down stairs from her room where she had been watching TV and switched the TV we were watching to the live bout between Vitali Klitschko and Dereck Chisora while explaining that the pay per view system had malfunctioned and the bout was being shown free so, Paisley man that I am I watched it.

 

Had you asked me on Sat. Feb. 11, 2012; one week before the fight; who Dereck Chisora was I would have been unable to tell you; I humbly submit to you that as a quite keen boxing fan the fact that I had no idea who the 'contender' was for the heavy weight boxing championship of the world which was about to start gave me pause for thought. The thoughts going through my mind were of no great comfort to me as I watched him in his corner looking like a night club bouncer and a dead ringer for Charles Laughton as Quasi Modo in the "Hunchback of Notre Dame" The broadcaster had helpfully shown us his antics at the weigh in where; face covered in a mask he slapped Vitalo Klischko like a big girl whose makeup had been stolen, he then went on to spit in the face of Klitschko's brother Wladimir. I don't want to sound hysterical here because I have watched all kinds of shenanigans and stunts between competitors but he should be finished for this.

 

The parasites who are never far away from professional boxing like Frank Warren, will now try to get him back in the ring, no doubt hoping that this episode will sell more tickets and sadly he might just get away with that. In British heavyweight boxing at the moment there is no show without 'punch' or as he's known in the profession 'punch bag' David Haye. His humiliation against Wladimir Klitschko who used him like a sparring partner in their recent title fight and threw him around the ring like a rag doll when his fists got sore punching the back of his head as he ran away is back because he can smell money from a gullible public, this should not be allowed to happen! enough is enough.

 

Chisora who is 28 years old is being praised by some people who should know better for his showing against Vitali Klitschko who is 40 years old FFS and has not fought much since serious back surgery 2 years ago, Chisora took 1 round out of 12! As I said FFS! we laughed at stunts by Ali, Frazier, Foreman, Liston Etc. but this is not in the least bit funny, Chisora and Haye are embarrassing and people are paying to watch them, neither of them could fight sleep. John L Sullivan, Gentleman Jim Corbett, Bob Fitzimmons, Dempsey, Braddock, Jack Johnson, Joe Lewis, Marciano, Ali, Frazier, Tyson and the blameless Klitschko brothers who do what it says on the tin by beating everyone who gets put in front of them are being spat on by these bums and now it has come to this. Where is it going to end? not since the days of Primo Carnero "The Ambling Alp" and "Two Ton Tony Galento" whose catch phrase was "oil moider da bum" has heavyweight boxing sunk so low, is it time to pack it in I wonder? Or what would be more acceptable, is it not the time to say people like these and the others who are dragging the sport through the mud have had their day and kick them out once for all. Heavyweight Boxing has been around for hundreds of years graced by some of the names listed above, it would be a shame to allow a bunch of shysters and shake down artists like these people to drag it in to oblivion, can people like Warren, Haye and Chisora continue to bring shame on the sport that gave us Ali, Dempsey, Marciano and Joe lewis.

THE BEAUTIFUL GAME WILL SURVIVE RACISM – FRAUD – VIOLENCE AND ALEX FERGUSON.

Liverpool V Manchester United Race Row. The losers in this horrible episode are the football fans. People will argue about who was right and who was wrong for a long time and the bad feeling which already existed between these two clubs will only get worse.

By far the worst result of this is that the most nasty, venomous bully in the history of the game has managed to position himself at the top of the moral high ground and the obsequious FA and sporting press are afraid to tackle him, and not for the first time. Ferguson would use anything and I mean anything to gain an advantage and in this case he sees an opportunity to do down Liverpool, the racist backdrop means nothing to him, nothing does.

Had Alex Ferguson taken up golf or athletics as a youth the beautiful game would today be far more able to hold its head high, his influence on the game particularly as the manager of one of the world's richest and most powerful clubs has been unremittingly ugly and sinister. The guy who watched and learned from him while at Chelsea Mourihno is following his example and traducing the reputation of a similarly great club. .

Thankfully the influence of Ferguson on football is drawing to a close, old age will eventually succeed in doing what the authorities have been too spineless to do for a long time and confine him to the dustbin of history. Manchester United might then once again become one of the world's best loved football clubs instead one of its most loathed. It is to be hoped that this great football club will be able to erase the malicious Ferguson influence which has polluted Old Trafford and the English game for too many years. This is the "beautiful game" and no amount of malcontents like Ferguson will ever change that. Now would be an appropriate time to create an award for the most cynical person in sport and award it to Ferguson in perpetuity.

BIG TONALD AND WEE ECK (THE SPIV) IN THE END OF THE PIER SHOW.

Dear Mr. Trump in the interests of Scottish American relations can I with all due respect offer you a way toward a peaceful solution to the problem of wind and Mr. Salmond. Have you considered a donation to the Scottish Nationalist Party? A couple of big family type suitcases full of used fivers and tenners. These should be given in the spirit intended which is of course for the good of your and wee Eck (the spiv's) beloved Scotland where I believe your maw was born. Catch a bus to the north driven by wee holy Brian Souter who knows a thing or two about donations. He can drop you on the (wee spiv's) doorstep. Think back to the ever so pleasant planning thingmy when you had something he (the spiv) wanted. Think back to when wee holy Brian also had something which wee Eck (the spiv) wanted as well.

Take heart Mr. Trump not only are you and wee eck (the spiv) patriotic Scots. you are cut from the same tartan cloth. In your position I would be thinking along the lines of Edinburgh Castle becoming "Edinburg Trump Castle – Luxury hotel and conference centre and seller of genuine locks of Bobby Burns's hair" sample Willie Wallace's blue face paint, visit Loch Lomond on a wee holy Brian tour and kiss the Blarney Stone before leaving for the USA, remember Tonald, money talks and I've heard it said when it gets to wee Eck (the spiv) it bawls and shouts. We know that we can rely on you Tonald and you Eck (the spiv) to always put our beloved Scotland first, just like big Shawn who described you both I'm told when he last threw you off his Island in the Bahamas as a "Shite for Shore eyes"

HI CHAPS I’M HARRY AND MY NAN OWNS THE ARMY SO YOU BETTER DO AS I SAY.

The PR people and spin doctors who are charged with the gargantuan task of presenting the halfwit prince; Captain Harry as a young man around whom they can create a believable myth are once again in despair. Their latest wheeze following his most recent portrayal as a brave young patriotic combatant is to once again show us his ordinary side, his ordinary guy, man of the people persona if you like. They must surely be reaching the point where they have to pack it in. Today he appears clad in fatigues joshing with the ordinary chaps with whom he will; it is inferred risk his life. This is a rerun of their attempt to show us the heroic Prince Harry fighting in the desert against the horrid Johnny Foreigner an episode which quickly and predictably descended into lies and farce when it was discovered that he never got closer than 6 miles to the actual combat zone and he was at all times ensconced in a heavily fortified concrete fortress. In addition to which he never spent a second without his personal body guard of 6 highly trained combat ready troops.

In today's pictures he has typically forgotten to remove his wrist watch before throwing on the combat fatigues to pose with the squaddies whom someone has volunteered to have their picture taken with their new chum. I'm sure that all his chums in the unit he will be in will be proud of the fact that Soldiers serving in the British Army are issued with watches like the one that Harry is displaying on his limp wrist. The watch? what that old thing? It's a Rolex Explorer 11 – a snip at between £4,000 to £15,000, It'll all be over by Christmas right?

SALMOND (THE SPIV) EMBARRASSES US ALL AGAIN.

What are we to make of wee Eck (the spiv) hawking himself around the radio and TV stations to muscle in on the Scotland V England Rugby match? Forget the fact that he dodged a bullet when Scotland decided to field their ladies team, that's a separate issue. Is it not simply the case that senior politicians regularly show up at these events on the understanding that it is apolitical and should not be exploited? That; based on the evidence available rules out (the spiv) Salmond whose reputation over many years is that of a man who cannot see a belt without hitting below it.

Would anyone trust this charlatan whose instinct was to score political points when he witnessed houses and business premises being burned as well as injuries, loss of life and arrests being made when the recent riots occurred? His comments and his repugnant behaviour over this when he tried to suggest that such events were peculiar to England and did not happen in Scotland were all too typical of a man who as first minister has brought shame and embarrassment on his office and on the Scottish people. Are the people of Scotland beginning to rumble him? Let's hope so.

 

“IF MY BIG BRO. WILLIE HAS HIS OWN CHOPPER THEN I JOLLY WELL WANT ONE AS WELL” (PRINCE (BIGGLES) HARRY)

A grateful nation waiting with bated breath has today learned that Prince Harry (worth over £10 Million and counting) has qualified as the number one helicopter passenger in his squadron. His "Wingco" Flight Officer Charlie (whiffy) Brown congratulated him and expressed his confidence that he would be ready to move from the Lego chopper to the Tonka model soon. We have learned that he has already dealt with one emergency in typical "Hooray Henry" fashion. When a junior officer reported an unfamiliar noise coming from his chopper blades the Prince showing his legendary daring and razor sharp decision making skills said "OK let's jolly well get her flying for a couple of hours and the noise will then be familiar won't it? Carry on chaps"!

“I WAS IN PRISON AND YOU VISITED ME” MATHEW 25:35-46

Having had a well known interest in the penal system for years and indeed had plenty to say about it's inadequacies; I found it impossible several years ago to say no to the request from Labour Group Leader Jim Harkins and my colleagues in the Renfrewshire Council Labour Group to become Renfrewshire Council's representative on the Barlinnie Prison Visiting Committee. In actual fact I wanted the job and strangely enough there was no rush to challenge my nomination, it did not go to a vote in fact. I had strong opinions on our prison system and very few of them if any were positive, it is a huge disappointment to me that that remains the case, even more so as prison numbers increase.

It became apparent to me very quickly that the prison Visiting Committee was valued by prisoners and resented by most prison officers. I'm writing this now to put on record my strong opposition to the Scottish Government's proposals to do away with the Prison Committees and replace them with an advocacy service. The advocacy service would be selected and controlled by The Scottish Prison Service who would decide who gets the contract; begging the obvious question 'will the advocacy service stand up to those who pay their wages?' Recent consultations on this issue saw returns by 60 relevant organisations; only one of whom agreed with abolishing the Prison Committees; it will be no bombshell to readers to find that that was the Scottish Prison Service. In the judgment of this ex prison visitor that should have been game set and match in favour of the P.V.C'S but; the increasingly more and more absurd Kenny Macaskill SNP justice minister still wants them scrapped. He cites the low number of 14 requests last year to see the PVC from Barlinnie, this low number was something I was aware of when I was involved and I know the reason. During my time there I had occasion to meet prisoners on various occasions out with PVC prisoner requests and I always made a point of talking to prisoners and always asked what they knew about the PVC's and the overwhelming majority of them had no idea what I was talking about and most of those who did know about us suggested that it made for an easier life not to complain. That puts the blame for lack of response from prisoners with the prison regime itself and shamefully nothing has ever been done about it.

Two consultations have been done recently in 2005 and 2010 which revealed overwhelming support for the PVC's and a recent article quotes one of Scotland's national treasures Tory MSP Annabele Goldie (no bleeding heart liberal she) as saying ---- "their work (THE PVC'S) monitoring prisoners and investigating complaints is as welcome to the Scottish Prison Service as "a thistle in the backside" That sounds like cross party support to me if we include the SNP?

The cost? To maintain the PVC'S; to be able to say we are a fair and decent society; to refuse to go down the road of a banana republic; to ensure that members of the public appointed by local authorities can visit a prison any time; day or night; and demand to see a prisoner? £75,000 a year for the whole of Scotland, is it a price worth paying? I would spend more and make the service more modern with training for members etc. Oh! and training for Governors and prison officers as well. If prisoners cannot speak to people whom they consider to be completely impartial, if they cannot speak to people whom they can trust implicitly then we should stop criticising others who we condemn for bad treatment of prisoners like Zimbabwe and America. Without a free, honest and robust Prison Visitor's Committee Service we will have to buy in larger supplies of soap for prisoners to slip on. I wish I could take every person who writes or says or believes the "The Sun/Daily Mail" propaganda about how easy prison life is on a tour of some of the jails I have been in. Thousands go in every year illiterate and innumerate and come out years later still unable to read or count, what is the long term cost of that in money and human misery?

Contact your MSP's and let them know that you want the PVC'S kept.

 

FIDEL TELLS HIS STORY – SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NOT LIKE WHAT HE IS ABOUT TO SAY.

Fidel Castro makes the newspapers today; yet again. At the age of 85 he has released a memoir of his life which is approx. 1,000 pages long that of course could be the first of 20 or 30 volumes though. He launched the work at a 6 hour conference where observers described him as animated and very sharp; his grasp of world events was apparently comprehensive and formidable. What can you say about the man? people will be fighting in queues to get hold of the book and his enemies will be fighting their way to the head of those queues. I am reminded of a delegation that gave Fidel a pet it was a South Sea turtle with a life span of a hundred years and he turned it down saying "that's the trouble with pets, you become fond of them and then they die on you" or was that American Presidents he was talking about?

A NAT. MAKES THE DIPLOMATIC CASE FOR INDEPENDENCE – THIS IS NOT A WIND UP.

Sometimes unexpected gifts fall in to your hands unsolicited. This guy on facebook decided to have a go at me as I was having an argument with a Scottish Nationalist at the time. It took about 2/3 days for this fellow to reach the stage where I just had to let a wider audience read it. I won't and don't need to add anything further, just read on. A word of warning though, he's ex military and if he can fight like he can talk you might want to be careful in commenting. Oh! and he also says he is dyslexic.

Ian Clark 

I take it you think all us Scottish are idiots and that why we need your party to keep us from getting what is ours . I.e/ oil, wavepower, water to hydro, taxes, better rates from the council so that businesses can afford to have more staff and do more business. Scotland can no longer support your party and its lifestyle Scotland may still have some weak and tired people who cant get inspired about this Gray country but I believe that without London it can prosper and in that there is no place for English insults spoken through your party with London blowing wind up your ass that produced tonight nothing but a smell called fear of change. Feel free to throw your insults and take longer pauses to TRY to look good but your point is not being forced up my ass no matter how much you and London try. Scotland is about to have its day and your fear of that is because your party didnt see it coming.

16 hours ago · Like

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  Ian Clark 
  

  I admired the parts about Scotland not needing nukes and would have admired anyone that or will join us to free Scotland from slavery under the English rule. As for royaly most of them were my officers in command and to this date as far as I can see do a great job but they in my eyes were my bosses with the respect that their rank deserved in my job and possition however in my eyes I could not care less for them as my royalty but do not dismiss their good management and welcome them if they too help Scotland prosper with its own goverment.
  

  15 hours ago · Like
  

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  Ian Clark 
  

  Is there anything else I can help with cuntselor Kelly, Maybe help you find a job in Banking or give you a reference or is your place set for another 12 years insulting Scotland and its people...I think not/ feel free to correct any spelling mistakes you know how stupid I am or could it just be a mental defect produced by time in the army after being pumped with drugs to combat weapons given to enemys by the English or lack or care when lleaving the army to fellow commrads
  

  15 hours ago · Like
  

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  Terry Kelly I wouldn't change a word of any of this, it's priceless, in fact I will show it to people on my blog.
  

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THERE ARE NO BAD SITUATIONS THAT THE ARRIVAL OF THE SCOTTISH POLICE CAN’T MAKE WORSE.

Tommy Sheridan is released from jail, still insolent and defiant claiming his innocence in his charming sotto voce way, as is his wife Gail who is all over the Daily Record today recalling the horror of her treatment by the (Harry Margolis) She was told to stop staring at an electric plug during her questioning and had her Rosary Beads confiscated by her interrogator, a man whose hero they say is O'Brien from 19 84. This act of mental cruelty was carried out fittingly enough when she was half way through the "The Five Sorrowful Mysteries" only O'Brien could come up with that one. Mrs. Sheridan was at home with her suspicious and highly dangerous daughter who I believe was 3 years old at the time, a highly dangerous 3 year old it has to be said, when 9 of Scotland's finest; resplendent in neck to ankle black coats and spotlessly polished jack boots arrived to turn the house over, being thorough and highly trained cops, they took no chances, they searched the wee criminal's baby wear drawer and her toy drawer as well. Their professionalism sustained them as the wee girl wept and screamed, their training kicked in and they knew she was "at it" the bastards threatened her with no Santa Clause if she didn't behave, a Policeman's lot is not a happy one with such ever present danger.

Anyway Tommy and his family should not starve, there could be a book and possibly a play and a song or two to see them by, history tells us that prisoners depending on their celebrity or infamy can do quite well on the outside. Solzhenitsyn did OK once his fingers thawed out enough to type and he gave us 'Cancer Ward' and the snappily titled 'One day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch' Brendan Behan wrote 'Borstal Boy' about his 3 years in a British Borstal after being caught with his "IRA conjuring kit" (bomb equipment) as he called it at the age of 16, Norman Mailer wrote "The Executioners Song" about Gary Gilmore whose last words were "let's do it" before dying by firing squad, The much misunderstood victim of urban deprivation Jimmy Boyle gave us 'A sense of Freedom' and had a play written about him 'The hard man' Celebrated Tory shake down artists Jonathan Aitken and Jeffrey Archer both free market shysters wrote books which made money, Mien Kampf ? say no more, Oscar Fingal O'Flaherty Wills Wilde wrote the quite staggering 'Ballad of Reading Gaol' about his time as a guest of her majesty, and perhaps one of the most famous prisoners of them all Nelson Mandela wrote copiously about his time in jail and eventually triumphed and became one of the greatest people in the history of the planet 'a secular saint'

Tommy's book will be fascinating, Gail's will be enthralling but their wee girl's will be waited for with baited breath by a thirsting insatiable public desperate to know about her life as one of Great Britain's most notorious and dangerous 3 year olds. Yes folks you should never forget it; whatever age you are don't mess with the Scottish Police Force.

 

I SOMETIMES WONDER IF AMERICA REALLY EXISTS.

Presidential hopeful and possible Republican Party nominee Newt Gingrich came away with an answer to a criticism which deserves to take its place in history. Two things to consider here 1/ the calibre of the candidate who said this and who was being serious and 2/ The calibre of the electorate whom he thought would buy it and may still do so. I can think of no other political party in the world where this answer would not have ended the candidate's career forever, here we go.

Journalist at press conference - "Mr. Gingrich how do you explain having affairs behind your wife's back when you fought to impeach President Clinton for the same thing, and at the same time?"

Gingrich – " I had affairs because I love America so much that my love for my country led me to work to hard which led me to have these affairs"

Well, 'whatcha think folks is he a good ole murkin boy' who is a real tea party patriot or is America just the world's biggest f*****g asylum? You decide. While you're thinking about that you might want to consider that this potential President of the most powerful country in the history of planet Earth in his earlier life became so overcome with love and patriotism for his beloved America that he abandoned his first wife for a younger model when she had M.S. And yet again struck by a bout of severe heart pounding patriotism served divorce papers on his second wife when she was in hospital recovering from cancer.

American patriots – Think Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Armstrong Gabby Hayes, Newt Gingrich, Batman. Vote Gingrich he is the guy! A possible new President, a possible brand new shining way oh, and he continues to burnish his right wing Christian credentials by calling down hell fire and damnation on gays, dammit it's the Murkin way.

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FIDEL LOOKS AT THE G.O.P.

Fidel Castro showing that he is still pretty sharp.

Commenting on the Republican Party's race to find a presidential candidate to stand against President Obama, El Commandante Castro described it as 'the greatest competition of idiocy and ignorance that has ever been'

WILLIAM TOPAZ MCGONNAGLE – YOU ARE FORGIVEN.

My Heart's in the Highlands (R Burns)

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;

Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,

My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,

The birth-place of Valour, the country of Worth ;

Wherever I wander, wherever I rove,

The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

Farewell to the mountains, high-cover'd with snow,

Farewell to the straths and green vallies below;

Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,

Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,

My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;

Chasing the wild-deer, and following the roe,

My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I go.

Let me say up front that I have read Burns since I was a reluctant schoolboy and I tried hard to appreciate it, you had to in St. Mirin's Academy or you got the "bruises on you" I like one or two Burns things to this day but it is fair to say that if he was relying on sales to me to survive he would starve. The bottom line was of course that we were being forced to learn poetry in a foreign language, it might as well have been Spanish or German and no doubt better for our futures if it had been. The fact that he (Burns) was a famous mason did not sit well with the parents of many boys and indeed many teachers who shared our backgrounds, this was Scotland in the late 50's earl 60's need I say more "A bloody wee knuckle cruncher, check you've still got yer watch when ye shake haunds wae him, he couldnae write F**k on a dusty blind" was the considered verdict of our Da. the old man had a way with words himself now that I think of it. Burns, the Monarchy, Churchill, The Tories, The British Army (whom he served) the B******s in the establishment and various other people and things which roused his ancient Irish temper were all grist for his mill when that temper got going, we boys used to hide behind the couch clinging to each other tightly trying not to laugh when he went off on one, risky but side-splitting.

The above lines of poetry are what we call today doggerel, described in the dictionary as "badly written verse" the dictionary description is in fact too mild for this, it is absolute crap, 'the cat sat on the mat, and then it sat on a hat' is obviously superior and has much more gravitas. The reason of course that it escapes accurate examination is that it is by Burns, Scotland's National Poet and best known cottage industry, mugs, tea towels, calendars etc. and ridiculously expensive trinkets are sold to tourists as well as many Scots. visiting the old country who feign an interest in Burns to burnish their Scottish credentials, business is business right?

We are once again in the middle of the 2 week Burnsarama where he becomes inescapable and con artists squeeze every last bawbee out of it that they can. At the last count I have 4 selected editions of some of Burn's poetry handed out by newspapers annually to try to sell copy. Is anyone asking as I do why Burns remains a reserve league poet despite these annual attempts to sell him as a major artist? The answer is a harsh one to take, he is simply not good enough, he is not Shelley, Shakespeare or, Milton, nor is he Yeats, Wilde or Wordsworth and these are only from the British Isles.

I think that Scotland should re-examine it's literary past in an honest way and look at the other poets/writers Etc. none of whom get a fair deal because of the "Burns Industry"  a closer examination of the man would let people know the truth about him. His plagiarism, his unctuous grovelling to the upper classes in Edinburgh, his ambition to be a slave owner, his work for the Crown as an excise man acting against his own people, his loathing for hard work, a man of straw in fact but not unusual for his time. He did in fact write some memorable lines but so would anyone who wrote as much as he did.  The following true story which I have told before illustrates the damage that Burn's clubs and societies have done to Scottish literature. While feeding the swans and ducks at the Cart Walk a bus emblazoned with the legend "WALLACE TOURS" parked close to me and some Americans got off some chatted to me as I fed the birds and I asked where they were going and was told "Edinboro Castle, Bobby Burn's Cottage and to kiss the Blarney Stone, we just love Scatland" The bus company did not enlighten them, perhaps they were selling Blarney Stone Tea Towels.

Alas it's too late now and we are stuck with Burns whose glow will continue to rise and fall but mainly remain at a peep as far as international acclaim is concerned while true greats will see their flame blaze higher still and higher. I will leave the last word on Burns with MacDiarmid a far more profound and difficult poet but also far more rewarding "mair nonsense has been uttered in his name than in ony's  barrin' liberty and Christ" I will settle down with a copy of the great poets on Burn's night where Burns in fact has only two entries  "Tam o Shanter" and "A Man's a Man" if you must know. 
      

FROM THE BERNABEU TO ST. MIRREN PARK – THE LATTER LEFT A BETTER SMELL.

I prepared myself the other night no less diligently than the players who would take part in the Real Madrid V Barcelona match live from the 85 ½ thousand seater Bernabeu Stadium in the beautiful city of Madrid. I was of course only watching the match on TV but such is the occasion that it becomes a serious business to only spectate. As the kick off approached I had been to the toilet, prepared refreshments, double checked the time and spent some time thinking about Barca heroes like Cruyff; Maradona; Ronaldo; Figo and our own Steve Archibald who was gallus and unfazed enough to accept the No. 10 worn by the little genius Diego Maradona (maybe Steve didn't know who Maradona was) I am old enough to remember Madrid greats Gento, Di Stefano Del Sol and the mighty Hungaraian genius Ference Puskas an ex Army officer they called "The Galloping Major" our family cat was called 'Puskas' can there be a greater honour? I saw this Madrid line up live. The contrast with the match I watched previously the other night between Dunfermline and Inverness Caledonia Thistle was cruel and without pity, the Bernabeu is another world and the Scottish League is not to blame for that.

I have watched Barcelona over the last 4/5 years and seen them become the greatest club team in history even better than the Madrid of Di Stefano and Puskas that is of course only my opinion. I have watched them with delight and as often as possible and invariably seen them play Madrid often and these games have destroyed my youthful innocence. I believe that to be called a great football club or any other sporting institution requires more than winning trophies it requires the ability to meet with "triumph and disaster and treat these two impostors the same" to paraphrase Kipling, Sadly Real Madrid have failed badly at this test. Over these last couple of years these games have become toxic and brutal due to Real Madrid's inability to accept defeat by their greatest rivals who are clearly now superior to them by a long way. In these matches when Madrid look to be in trouble the atmosphere becomes poison and you can feel the hatred sweeping down from the stands at the Barca players.

The violence is awful and I believe that Madrid's power is still such that the authorities are afraid to tackle the problem. This game saw brutal tackling and one of the Madrid players 'Pepe' put on a display of viciousness rarely seen before; culminating in him stamping on the hand of Lionel Messi whom he had just kicked to the ground, he also threw himself around feigning injury at every opportunity, a revolting exhibition by a revolting cynic of a player. The players are not the ones responsible entirely for this state of affairs.

Prior to a couple of years ago I regarded Alex Ferguson as the worst thing that ever happened to football, his dubious achievement in turning Manchester United from one of the world's favourite teams in to one of the most hated is a sad tale of poisonous ambition. I sum him up as follows, there is nothing he will not do legally or illegally do to win a football match. One thing only can stop him, the question "can I get away with it" if the answer to that is yes he will not hesitate to do it.

Real Madrid Boss Jose Murhino is a match for Ferguson in every way, his smouldering malevolent presence on the touch line is a focus for violence and hatred. At one of these games last year he was caught on camera sneakily walking past one of the Barca coaches and deliberately poking him in the eye with his finger. These people are a blight on the 'Beautiful Game' Ferguson thankfully is drawing toward the end of a disgraceful career where the damage he has done to the game will take years to put right. Mourhino seems to be determined to make himself even worse than his sinister English League Teacher, the power that Madrid still have will probably help him achieve that. When the blood soaked fascist thug Franco ran Spain the poor guy who was to referee Real's game in Madrid was invited to dinner with the old brute (an offer he could not refuse) on the evening before the game, I wonder why? When I was a football mad kid Real Madrid lived in a dream world as did Man. Utd. I will never forgive them for destroying that dream.

Today the sun did not shine on St. Mirren Park; the wind howled like a banshee out of hell the rain fell like horizontal stair rods as St. Mirren and Celtic attempted to provide a game of football and incredibly enough provide it they did. It wasn't pretty, it rarely is in Scotland in January but both sets of players worked their socks off and displayed honest endeavour for the whole 90 minutes. Celtic won 2-0 with 2 very good goals and they also have their giant goalie Forster to thank for stopping St. Mirren from taking at least a point. It was a cleansing experience in more ways than one after watching the repellent display of one of the richest and most famous clubs in the world Real Madrid just the other night, well done Scottish Football.